Day 5…

I feel like today is a turning point. 

Ryan had a swim meet so She was left alone for the first time. She is up a lot more and sitting on the couch in the living room. Walking laps and really working on her exercises.  Honestly, yesterday was kinda discouraging. She did not seem very motivated and lazy. 

But today, I feel better about her motivation and mindset. 

She FINALLY pooped!! (TMI) and only taking pain meds in the morning and before bed. With Tylenol inbetween. 

Day 3

Pretty much the same as the previous days. She is up walking a lot more, doing laps around the house. She is finally at 40 in the cpm machine. 

Cut meds backs to 4 hours. 

It Go Time!! ACL Surgery

The day we have been waiting for for over a month. All the PT, all the braces all the meetings with Dr. LeBus. Everyone was ok the days leading up…even Sunday night as we had a yummy dinner with Grandy and Poppy (they stopped by on their way to Colorado and dropped off Tays car..Grandys Mustang). 

Monday morning, everyone is still in good spirits  we get to the surgery center at 9:30 just like we are told for 11:00 surgery time. We when check in, the lady looks at us and ask “why are you here so early”?  “You are not scheduled until 12:30”.  UMMM excuse me?  We have to wait 3 hours before surgery?  The lady it was fine , I’m sure it was a scheduling mishap. 

Taylor signs a few papers and we are in the waiting room about 15 min. They call her back for prep and 9:45

About 20 minutes later I can go back and sit with her. I get back and she is PISSED!  They missed her vein for her IV. She was not happy with nurses and I do not blame her. 

Now we wait

We chat with one of the nurses who is a friend of a friend. The nurse tells us all about church camp her and crystal just got back from. We hear all about her pregnancy and how she is having a miracle baby girl next month  

11:00 rolls around and nothing. 

11:30….nothing 

12:00……nothing 

12:30……..they come in and say they are running behind schedule and it will be about another hour. What?  I have been up since 4:30 taking Ry to swim and all I have had to eat is a granola bar…Tay is starving. 

1:00…………NOTHING…but we both got a power nap in and starting to watch Shark Tank. 

1:30 people start coming in asking questions to make sure she is really Taylor McFarland. By this time we are beyond annoyed and pretty short with anyone looking our way. 

1:45 Dr. LeBus comes in explains what is about to go down. Surgery will last 1-2 hours tops  Answers questions that we have. Which were not many BecUse we were annoyed and ready to get the party started  

2:00. Taylor and she’d a few tears give each or their hugs and kiss and throw deuces and they wheel her away. 

I go and eat ALL THE SNACKS they have to offer and wait. Make a few phone calls…Keith, nana and Crystal. Answered all the text checking  on things. 

3:00 still waiting 

3:30 still waiting. 

4:00 snacks round 2

4:30…..still waiting

5:00 Dr. LeBus came out. Said everything went as expected. He shows me all the images, explained the procedure. Did say she had 10% year in her maniscus. He was not concerned. Crutches for 2 weeks. 

5:30…..waiting again

6:00 round 3 of snacks

6:30 waiting and there is only 1 car in the parking lot. 

7:00. I finally can go back. 

       Taylor had a really rough time waking up. Got VERY sick. The nurse explains 100 things that were pretty overwhelming. They send me out to pull the car around while they get Tay dressed. 

7:30 we are FINALLY on our way home. 

8:15. We are FINALLY HOME!!! 

We start pain meds ASAP. She sleeps pretty well. I wake up and give her her meds every 2;45 mins

Day 4

Restful night and we all slept in…Praise Jesus!!  

She had PT today, so I took the opportunity to run a few errands. 

We had lunch at Chick Fil A. She actually got out of the car and walked in. It was nice to be out and about. 

PT went very well. I actually parked in the parking lot and she walked in. 

Knee massage

Calf pumps

Added

   Leg raises

   Side leg raises 

   Calf stretches with band

   Quad flexes

   Practice walking heel toe 

Needs to be at 50 in the cpm machine for Monday. 

Meds are down to 41/2 hours 

Started drinking prune juice and benifiber powder in water. 

Pain is being managed. 

Day 2….Worst Day

Wowzers….not a good day!  We go back and forth all day about exercises and meds  I am still letting her rest, but still trying to get her to do something. She fights me on everything. Eating, drinking water, exercises, meds…just looking at her. But I’m trying to show her a little grace…she did just have 2 screws put in her knee. 

But after talking with Becky, she tells us enough is enough. She has got to get moving!!!  

So she does….a smidge more. 

I make her leave her room to eat and take her meds  

She is walking laps around the house. She is wanting to walk on her toes and not put any pressure on her leg. So of course I tell her heal toe…she argues and rolls her eyes. 

I’m getting pretty frustrated by this point. Grace is out the window. 

I cut back her meds to 31/2 hours and again she is not happy. Are you seeing a pattern?  

She does take a shower and she feels much better. Clayton comes over and her she is in a better mood. 

She moves her leg to 20 degrees  in the cpm machine. Still doing calf pumps and knee massages. For her massages I am using Frankinsense and Copibia along wil arnica muscle rub 

Day 1

After, what I would consider a pretty successful night. I get her up and going. She is scheduled for PT at 10:00. 

Britney Spear…our PT is AMAZING. EXTREMLY nice and gentle with Taylor. Massages her knee, gives her a few exercises….calf pumps and shows me how to massage her knee. 

On our way home pain meds start to wear off and she is not happy.

Side note…you don’t know how bumpy a road is until you do not want to be on a bumpy road. Like a dirt driveway or country backroads. 

Taylor pretty much stays in her bed and sleeps all day. Still taking meds very 3 hours. 

She starts the CPM machine ( leg bending machine). They want her to start at 45 degrees. She says nope…and does 15. She has her leg in this leg bending machine for several hours. 

September Wrap Up

Tay is rocking cross country. Coming in as one of the top runners at each meet. So so proud of her.